Rapelje, Montana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rapelje, Montana
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Census-Designated Place
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Rapelje, Montana
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| Nickname(s):
City of wheat
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| Motto(s):
"Home is where the heart is"
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 Rapelje, Montana
Location in Montana
Rapelje, Montana
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Montana |
| County | Stillwater |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.49 sq mi (1.28 km2) |
| • Land | 0.49 sq mi (1.28 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 4,071 ft (1,241 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 88 |
| • Density | 178.50/sq mi (68.98/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
59067
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| Area code(s) | 406 |
| FIPS code | 30-60850 |
| GNIS feature ID | 777090 |
Rapelje is a small community in Stillwater County, Montana, in the United States. It's a place that isn't officially a city or town, but it's recognized for counting its population. Rapelje got its name from J. M. Rapelje, who was an important leader at the Northern Pacific Railway. In 2020, about 88 people lived in Rapelje. You can find Rapelje about 24 miles north of Columbus on Montana Secondary Highway 306.
Contents
What is the Population of Rapelje?
Rapelje is a small community. Its population has changed over the years.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 88 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, about 110 people lived there. By 2020, the population was 88 people.
The Story of Rapelje
Rapelje has an interesting past. It was first known as Lake Basin because of the way the land looked.
How Rapelje Got Its Name
In 1913, the community was renamed Rapelje. This was to honor J.M. Rapelje, a key person at the Northern Pacific Railroad.
The Railroad Town
Rapelje started as a place for railroad workers to live in the late 1800s. As more people came to work on the railroad, the community grew. It had many important buildings like a hotel, a grocery store, and a town hall. There was even a school for all grades, from kindergarten to 12th grade.
A post office opened in 1913. Four large towers for storing grain were also built, and you can still see them today! Rapelje became a busy spot for the railroad. It had grain elevators, its own school, a church, a cafe, and later, even a violin shop and clothing store.
Changes Over Time
In 1980, the railroad tracks were removed from Rapelje. This caused the community's population to shrink. Many businesses closed, and people moved away. The old hotel burned down, the town hall was taken away, and the grocery store closed its doors.
24 Hours of Rapelje Bike Race
Every June, around the longest day of the year, Rapelje hosts a special event. It's called the 24 Hours of Rapelje. This is a mountain bike race where riders test their endurance for a full day. Local volunteers work hard to organize this exciting event.
Rapelje's Climate
Rapelje has a type of weather called a semi-arid climate. This means it's usually dry, but not a desert. It gets some rain, but not a lot.
| Climate data for Rapelje, Montana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1908–2021 | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 71 (22) |
72 (22) |
80 (27) |
88 (31) |
98 (37) |
104 (40) |
108 (42) |
105 (41) |
103 (39) |
93 (34) |
79 (26) |
69 (21) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.0 (14.4) |
59.8 (15.4) |
68.9 (20.5) |
77.7 (25.4) |
83.7 (28.7) |
91.9 (33.3) |
98.2 (36.8) |
97.3 (36.3) |
93.0 (33.9) |
81.3 (27.4) |
67.4 (19.7) |
57.4 (14.1) |
99.8 (37.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 35.6 (2.0) |
37.6 (3.1) |
46.8 (8.2) |
54.8 (12.7) |
64.0 (17.8) |
73.3 (22.9) |
84.2 (29.0) |
83.6 (28.7) |
72.9 (22.7) |
57.5 (14.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
35.8 (2.1) |
57.5 (14.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.0 (−3.9) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
34.6 (1.4) |
42.1 (5.6) |
51.1 (10.6) |
59.7 (15.4) |
68.4 (20.2) |
67.3 (19.6) |
57.8 (14.3) |
44.8 (7.1) |
33.3 (0.7) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
44.7 (7.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14.5 (−9.7) |
15.4 (−9.2) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
29.5 (−1.4) |
38.1 (3.4) |
46.2 (7.9) |
52.7 (11.5) |
51.0 (10.6) |
42.8 (6.0) |
32.1 (0.1) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
15.5 (−9.2) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −14.6 (−25.9) |
−9.6 (−23.1) |
−1.0 (−18.3) |
16.0 (−8.9) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
34.0 (1.1) |
42.9 (6.1) |
39.3 (4.1) |
29.0 (−1.7) |
11.3 (−11.5) |
−4.2 (−20.1) |
−10.7 (−23.7) |
−23.8 (−31.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −41 (−41) |
−45 (−43) |
−30 (−34) |
−11 (−24) |
−1 (−18) |
24 (−4) |
30 (−1) |
26 (−3) |
10 (−12) |
−15 (−26) |
−34 (−37) |
−39 (−39) |
−45 (−43) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.46 (12) |
0.57 (14) |
0.76 (19) |
1.78 (45) |
2.73 (69) |
2.42 (61) |
1.64 (42) |
1.06 (27) |
1.40 (36) |
1.35 (34) |
0.57 (14) |
0.49 (12) |
15.23 (385) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 7.8 (20) |
9.8 (25) |
8.8 (22) |
6.6 (17) |
1.1 (2.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
5.6 (14) |
6.4 (16) |
8.0 (20) |
54.3 (137.31) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 4.2 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 8.2 | 10.3 | 9.3 | 7.0 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 75.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 23.0 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Education in Rapelje
The Rapelje School District is where students from kindergarten through 12th grade go to school. The high school team is known as the Rapelje Renegades.
